Multi-agent IDE and command center vs an open source collaborative editor.
Official product sites
Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It combines a VS Code-based IDE with an Agent Command Center for Devin Local, Devin Cloud, Codex, Claude Agent, OpenCode, and other ACP-compatible agents.
Zed is an open source Rust editor with GPU-backed rendering, real-time multiplayer collaboration, built-in AI, and the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) for external agents. Zed 1.0 shipped in April 2026, and current plans include Personal, Pro, and Business.
Choose Devin Desktop for a packaged multi-agent workspace. Choose Zed for an open editor with collaboration, remote development, and flexible agent integration. Solo fits when local agents and project commands should live outside either editor.
Choose Devin Desktop for a packaged multi-agent IDE or Zed for an open editor with collaboration and flexible agent integration. Consider Solo when local agents and project commands should live outside the editor.
Devin Desktop fits when you want Devin Local, Devin Cloud, and ACP-compatible agents organized in one IDE and command center.
Zed fits best when you want a faster editor, collaboration, and the option to use external agents through ACP.
Solo fits when local agents and project commands should move out of the editor into a separate process workspace.
| Feature | Devin Desktop | Zed | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Full IDE and command center for local and cloud agents | Open source editor with AI and real-time collaboration | Local process dashboard for agents and project commands |
| Replaces your editor |  | | — |
| Built-in AI agent | Devin Local, plus Devin Cloud and ACP-compatible agents | Agentic editing with Zed-hosted models or BYOK | — |
| External agent support | Codex, Claude Agent, OpenCode, and compatible ACP agents | ACP registry agents including Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Cursor, and Pi | Supported agents get first-party features; other CLIs run as generic processes |
| AI model choice | SWE-1.7 and supported frontier models, plus ACP agents | Zed-hosted models, BYOK, and external agents | Uses installed agent CLIs; no bundled model |
| Edit predictions | Supercomplete with terminal-aware context — unlimited on free tier | Zeta (open source model), plus Copilot, Codestral, others | — |
| MCP integration | Curated one-click setup (GitHub, Slack, Figma, databases) | MCP tools and prompts via extensions or settings | Exposes an MCP server for external tools |
| Real-time collaboration | Agent workspace and team features; not Zed-style multiplayer editing | Multiplayer editing with voice chat and screen sharing | — |
| Live previews | Yes — in-editor UI preview for frontend | — | — |
| Editor architecture | VS Code-based desktop app | Rust editor with GPU-backed rendering | N/A — not an editor |
| Native debugger | Via VS Code debugging | Yes — native debugger (June 2025) | — |
| Extension system | VS Code extensions (mostly compatible) | WASM-based extensions and ACP agent registry | — |
| Local process dashboard | IDE panels and terminal, not a process supervisor | Terminal and agent panels, not a process supervisor | Yes — sidebar with CPU/memory stats per process |
| Auto-restart for project commands | — | — | Yes — self-exit and file-watch restarts |
| Open source | — | Yes — GPL v3 (editor), Apache (ACP, GPUI) | — |
| Free tier | Light usage quota, limited models, unlimited Tab | Personal plan with 2,000 accepted edit predictions; BYOK and external agents | 4 projects and 20 processes |
| Paid plans | Pro $20/mo, Max $200/mo, Teams $80/mo plus $40/mo per full seat | Pro $10/mo with $5 included tokens; Business $30/seat/mo | Pro plan |
| Product status | Cognition; renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026 | Zed 1.0 released April 2026 | Independent desktop app |
| Platform | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS and Windows |
Devin Desktop packages several agent types inside one IDE and command center.
Zed combines its own agentic editing with external-agent interoperability.
Solo does not bundle an AI model.
Devin Desktop uses the VS Code foundation and adds an agent command center, live previews, and terminal-aware completion.
Zed is written in Rust with GPU-backed rendering and includes real-time multiplayer collaboration, voice chat, and screen sharing.
Solo is a separate desktop process workspace, so the editor architecture is independent of whether you use it.
Devin Desktop is proprietary and owned by Cognition. It is the current product identity for Windsurf.
Zed is open source under GPL v3. ACP and GPUI use Apache licenses, and Zed 1.0 shipped in April 2026.
Solo is proprietary and focuses on local agent and process management rather than code editing.
If Devin Desktop is your editor and agent command center, Solo can manage the surrounding local project commands.
If Zed is your editor, Solo adds a separate local process management layer.
Solo keeps local agents and project commands in a dedicated workspace outside the editor.
Devin Desktop and Zed both have free entry points, but they package different workflows: an integrated agent command center versus an open collaborative editor.
Devin Desktop pricing lens
New-user plans include Free, Pro at $20 per month, Max at $200 per month, Teams at $80 per month plus $40 per full seat, and Enterprise.
Zed pricing lens
Zed offers Personal free, Pro at $10 per month, and Business at $30 per seat per month.
Where Solo fits
Solo is a separate local environment layer if neither editor should own the local agents and project commands.
Devin Desktop combines a full IDE with a command center for several local and cloud coding agents. Zed combines an open source Rust editor with multiplayer collaboration, remote development, hosted or BYOK models, and ACP agents. Choose based on which editor and agent workflow you want. Solo fits when local agents and project commands should live outside either editor.
Related comparisons
If you are evaluating Devin Desktop, Zed, Solo, these are the closest next comparisons in the matrix.
Start with one project and a small task. These guides walk through the setup and what to check when the work finishes.
Set up both tools in one project, give one agent implementation work, and ask the other to review the diff.
Read the guide →Give a lead agent a plan, shared todos, and a scratchpad so workers have clear assignments and a useful handoff.
Read the guide →Put a Laravel server, Vite, and a queue worker in solo.yml, then manage their output and restart behavior in Solo.
Read the guide →The Free plan includes every feature, so you only need Pro after you outgrow four projects.
Team seats
Buy seats under one Stripe subscription, then share a claim link in Slack or email. Each claimant signs in or registers and receives a normal Solo Pro license. Optional auto-grow adds prorated seats automatically when the pool is full, so your team never hits a license wall.
Seats 1–3
$99/seat/yr
Seats 4–10
$89/seat/yr
Seats 11–50
$79/seat/yr
Seats 51+
$69/seat/yr
Brackets apply per seat — a 10-seat team pays $99 each for seats 1–3 and $89 each for seats 4–10.
Free for four projects on macOS and Windows.
Start with a terminal and add the programmable meta-harness when you need to coordinate agents with your local development stack.
“I can't live without it.”
